NOTAP partners Romania, Swedish govts on tech development

Agency gets new DG

The National Office for Technology Acquisition and Promotion (NOTAP) has consummated a tripartite inter-governmental relationship with the Republic of Romania and Swedish Governments on technology development in Nigeria.

The Acting Director-General of NOTAP, Dr. (Mrs.) Idoreyin Imiyoho, who disclosed this, yesterday, in Abuja when she led the Managing Director of COPS Nigeria Limited, Simon Naoun and Executive Director, Joseph Abi Saab, on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Geoffrey Uche Nnaji, said the agency was established to regulate the inflow of foreign technology into the country but also has the responsibility of encouraging the development of locally-motivated technologies.

She said that over 90 per cent of technologies utilised in all sectors of the Nigerian economy were foreign and for a country that is desirous of becoming a major player in the global technology space, the situation was unacceptable, hence the encouragement of indigenous technological capabilities.

Imiyoho, who asserted that NOTAP had evolved some strategic programmes and projects aimed at encouraging Nigerian researchers to undertake demand-driven researches rather than the conventional research for the purposes of career progression, said one of such programmes was the establishment of Intellectual Property and Technology Transfer Offices (IPTTOs) in some Nigerian institutions across the geo-political zones of the country.

She noted that the aim was to create awareness on the importance of Intellectual Property (IP) to the economic sustainability of the nation. On his part, Nnaji said the partnership would lead to a high-profile technology investment in the country.

He commended NOTAP for the foresight and expressed the ministry’s full support for the partnership.In the same vein, Naoun said COPS Nigeria Limited would provide expertise in drone technology with an assembling plant in Nigeria, satellite development, scientific education tools, as well as a total investment in Research and Development (R&D).

MEANWHILE, NOTAP, in a statement by its Deputy Director, Public Relations and Protocol, Solomon D. Nshem, informed of the change of leadership in the agency. He said Dr. DanAzumi Ibrahim has handed over to Imiyoho, who commended him for the successes recorded during his tenure as DG.

Ibrahim thanked the management and staff of the agency for the support accorded him throughout his two-term tenure as DG and prayed that God will guide the new leadership towards greater success in running the affairs of the office.